Cherry: Chapter 9
Title: Cherry
Chapter: 9
Rating: NC-17
Cherry
Chapter 9
(080115-080116)
Autumn graduated third in her class on a rainy October evening. It was cold and wet and Autumn tried to make herself as small as possible as she squeezed herself between the wall and Jackson Quincy. Jackson Quincy and Autumn had known each other since kindergarten. Alphabetically speaking they were right next to each other and had become fast friends. He was smart and sweet and he was like the brother she never had nor wanted.
"I-i-i-it's cold." She stuttered as she gripped the dark blue fabric of his school blazer.
"I know babe." Jackson replied, turning around to face her as he tried to shelter her from the frigid wind that blew around them as they waited outside for the graduation ceremony to begin.
"You're wearing pants you have a little bit of extra warmth." She complained as she shivered. The St. Andrews uniforms were fairly standard; white button-up oxfords, blue and white ties, dark blue blazer with black shoes. The girls wore a knee length blue and white skirt with dark stockings while the boys wore navy slacks.
"May we snuggle?" He asked, his arms on either side of her waist, pinning her against the wall with his tallish frame. He was about half a head taller than she was but he was ultimately too thin to hide her from the elements. She smiled up at Jackson as she tried to ignore the sudden urge to ask Dominick to protect from the cold, he was certainly big enough.
"Yes, we may." She answered as she gripped the shoulders of his blazer and tried to make herself as small as possible, pressing herself into his chest. Jackson tried to curl himself around her to protect her.
"Well this is nice." Jackson offered.
"No it isn't. It's cold." She told him as she spoke into his chest.
"Well what I really meant was when did you get boobs?" Jackson asked, causing Autumn to dig her nails into him.
"Surgery." She answered as she waited for the ceremony to start, bringing her watch up to her face as she slid her blazer sleeve out of the way.
"Really when?"
"Jackson don't be ridiculous, I'm a seventeen year old girl."
"Oh, I see, puberty."
"Well done Jackson, next we'll be learning about the birds and the bees."
"And the flowers and the trees?"
"Of course. What's a lesson about birds and bees if you don't include flowers and trees?"
"A poor one."
"Well, if you're going to do it, do it right."
"Because that isn't suss at all." Autumn recognised the voice immediately and pulled her head up from his chest.
"Hey guys." The Lucas twins, Elizabeth and Stephanie, were Autumn's next door neighbours and were the closest thing she had to best friends.
"Hey Autumn, Hi Jackson." Stephanie shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.
"What are you two doing?" Elizabeth asked as she cocked an eyebrow at them. While the Lucas twins were identical Autumn recognised enough of their habits to differentiate between them.
"Sharing body heat." Jackson replied as he kissed the top of Autumn's head affectionately.
"You guys would either be a really happy as a couple or totally miserable." Stephanie observed.
"We're mostly platonic" Autumn replied, a little disturbed by the sentiment.
"Mostly?" Elizabeth asked sceptically as she huddled closer to her sister to try and ward off the freezing wind of the night.
"If I'm really drunk, she starts to look really appealing." Jackson.
"Why only when you're drunk?" Stephanie asked.
"My sense of self preservation is too great sober."
"Self preservation?" Autumn asked, frowning up at her favourite male friend.
"You're too smart. Makes most males feel severely emasculated. Nothing personal." He told her.
"How is that not personal?" Autumn asked.
"I was trying not to offend you." He admitted sheepishly.
"I am offended." She replied, patting his cheek.
"And I am sorry."
"Well, that's okay, you realise that you're wrong and you admit that."
"You guys are weird." Stephanie told them.
"Are you guys coming tonight?" Jackson was holding the graduation party later on that night and was understandably anxious about how it would proceed.
"Yes." The twins said simultaneously.
"No." Autumn droned, hoping Jackson wouldn't notice.
"What? It's our graduation piss up you have to come." Jackson looked down at her as the teachers began to jostle them into a long line according to alphabetical order.
"You can't miss your own graduating bash." Elizabeth told her glancing over her shoulder as the students in their year moved around them.
"That and you're our lift." Stephanie said, causing Elizabeth to smack her on the arm.
"Thanks for the notice guys." Autumn said sarcastically as Jackson eased himself off of her so they could move into position.
"Oh you're welcome." Stephanie said as she followed her twin sister off to resume their positions.
"You have to come. You can get crazy drunk and it won't matter because you'll never have to see them again. And even if you do they would be too busy with their lives to remember little old you." Jackson said as she gripped his fingers while he walked, talking over his shoulder as he lead her through the crowd.
"I'm the girls lift, I can't get crazy drunk."
"The three of you can spend the night at my place. And does that mean you're coming?"
"The girls are counting on me."
"You and your stupid sense of duty."
"It isn't stupid Jackson."
"You're right, one of these days I'm going to get in trouble and you'll be the only person who'll bail me out."
"That's what friends are for. But don't go out doing illegal things because you'll know I'll save your butt."
"So you're definitely coming tonight?" Jackson asked as the opening music for their graduation mass rang out, Autumn standing obediently behind Jackson as they waited to enter the chapel.
Tameron Walsh and Andrew Carpenter walked past them, to the front of the line to lead the procession into the church. Tameron Walsh was second in their year and consequently the highest ranking female. She was the year's Head Girl (an appointment that made Autumn lose a little of her faith in humanity) and was immeasurably popular. Tameron, much like Sarah McKinnon, was fairly promiscuous and was yet another thorn in Autumn's side. It was easy to ridicule Sarah. She was rather loose with her affections and she was about as intelligent as a concussed child. She had barely made the grades to graduate and Autumn who prided herself on her intelligence was able to make fun of her fairly easily.
Tameron Walsh however was different. She outranked Autumn so she was clearly smarter and the democratic process that appointed her Head Girl indicated that she was well liked. She was pretty too. With large, dewy eyes and pretty blonde hair she looked like she belonged on the cover of lad’s magazine, or, due to her immense intelligence between the pages of a business magazine.
Andrew Carpenter, the Head Boy, was just as morally deplorable. Three months prior to their graduation (and two days after the Encounter in the library) Andrew had taken a keen interest in April. April was naturally flattered; nothing spelt status like the Head Boy for a boyfriend. He had charmed his way into April's heart and had promptly broken it into a million miniscule, irreparable pieces. April was naturally crushed and Autumn had been walking on egg shells for weeks. Nothing she did was right. Autumn was of the personal opinion that nothing helped heal like dark chocolate rocky road and a couple of hours of Mr. Darcy. April, an athlete, rejected the chocolate and she had never had the patience for Pride and Prejudice (both the movie and the book).
The procession into the church began and Autumn reached up to tap Jackson's shoulder.
"What time do you want me there?" She asked quietly.
Chapter: 9
Rating: NC-17
Cherry
Chapter 9
(080115-080116)
Autumn graduated third in her class on a rainy October evening. It was cold and wet and Autumn tried to make herself as small as possible as she squeezed herself between the wall and Jackson Quincy. Jackson Quincy and Autumn had known each other since kindergarten. Alphabetically speaking they were right next to each other and had become fast friends. He was smart and sweet and he was like the brother she never had nor wanted.
"I-i-i-it's cold." She stuttered as she gripped the dark blue fabric of his school blazer.
"I know babe." Jackson replied, turning around to face her as he tried to shelter her from the frigid wind that blew around them as they waited outside for the graduation ceremony to begin.
"You're wearing pants you have a little bit of extra warmth." She complained as she shivered. The St. Andrews uniforms were fairly standard; white button-up oxfords, blue and white ties, dark blue blazer with black shoes. The girls wore a knee length blue and white skirt with dark stockings while the boys wore navy slacks.
"May we snuggle?" He asked, his arms on either side of her waist, pinning her against the wall with his tallish frame. He was about half a head taller than she was but he was ultimately too thin to hide her from the elements. She smiled up at Jackson as she tried to ignore the sudden urge to ask Dominick to protect from the cold, he was certainly big enough.
"Yes, we may." She answered as she gripped the shoulders of his blazer and tried to make herself as small as possible, pressing herself into his chest. Jackson tried to curl himself around her to protect her.
"Well this is nice." Jackson offered.
"No it isn't. It's cold." She told him as she spoke into his chest.
"Well what I really meant was when did you get boobs?" Jackson asked, causing Autumn to dig her nails into him.
"Surgery." She answered as she waited for the ceremony to start, bringing her watch up to her face as she slid her blazer sleeve out of the way.
"Really when?"
"Jackson don't be ridiculous, I'm a seventeen year old girl."
"Oh, I see, puberty."
"Well done Jackson, next we'll be learning about the birds and the bees."
"And the flowers and the trees?"
"Of course. What's a lesson about birds and bees if you don't include flowers and trees?"
"A poor one."
"Well, if you're going to do it, do it right."
"Because that isn't suss at all." Autumn recognised the voice immediately and pulled her head up from his chest.
"Hey guys." The Lucas twins, Elizabeth and Stephanie, were Autumn's next door neighbours and were the closest thing she had to best friends.
"Hey Autumn, Hi Jackson." Stephanie shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.
"What are you two doing?" Elizabeth asked as she cocked an eyebrow at them. While the Lucas twins were identical Autumn recognised enough of their habits to differentiate between them.
"Sharing body heat." Jackson replied as he kissed the top of Autumn's head affectionately.
"You guys would either be a really happy as a couple or totally miserable." Stephanie observed.
"We're mostly platonic" Autumn replied, a little disturbed by the sentiment.
"Mostly?" Elizabeth asked sceptically as she huddled closer to her sister to try and ward off the freezing wind of the night.
"If I'm really drunk, she starts to look really appealing." Jackson.
"Why only when you're drunk?" Stephanie asked.
"My sense of self preservation is too great sober."
"Self preservation?" Autumn asked, frowning up at her favourite male friend.
"You're too smart. Makes most males feel severely emasculated. Nothing personal." He told her.
"How is that not personal?" Autumn asked.
"I was trying not to offend you." He admitted sheepishly.
"I am offended." She replied, patting his cheek.
"And I am sorry."
"Well, that's okay, you realise that you're wrong and you admit that."
"You guys are weird." Stephanie told them.
"Are you guys coming tonight?" Jackson was holding the graduation party later on that night and was understandably anxious about how it would proceed.
"Yes." The twins said simultaneously.
"No." Autumn droned, hoping Jackson wouldn't notice.
"What? It's our graduation piss up you have to come." Jackson looked down at her as the teachers began to jostle them into a long line according to alphabetical order.
"You can't miss your own graduating bash." Elizabeth told her glancing over her shoulder as the students in their year moved around them.
"That and you're our lift." Stephanie said, causing Elizabeth to smack her on the arm.
"Thanks for the notice guys." Autumn said sarcastically as Jackson eased himself off of her so they could move into position.
"Oh you're welcome." Stephanie said as she followed her twin sister off to resume their positions.
"You have to come. You can get crazy drunk and it won't matter because you'll never have to see them again. And even if you do they would be too busy with their lives to remember little old you." Jackson said as she gripped his fingers while he walked, talking over his shoulder as he lead her through the crowd.
"I'm the girls lift, I can't get crazy drunk."
"The three of you can spend the night at my place. And does that mean you're coming?"
"The girls are counting on me."
"You and your stupid sense of duty."
"It isn't stupid Jackson."
"You're right, one of these days I'm going to get in trouble and you'll be the only person who'll bail me out."
"That's what friends are for. But don't go out doing illegal things because you'll know I'll save your butt."
"So you're definitely coming tonight?" Jackson asked as the opening music for their graduation mass rang out, Autumn standing obediently behind Jackson as they waited to enter the chapel.
Tameron Walsh and Andrew Carpenter walked past them, to the front of the line to lead the procession into the church. Tameron Walsh was second in their year and consequently the highest ranking female. She was the year's Head Girl (an appointment that made Autumn lose a little of her faith in humanity) and was immeasurably popular. Tameron, much like Sarah McKinnon, was fairly promiscuous and was yet another thorn in Autumn's side. It was easy to ridicule Sarah. She was rather loose with her affections and she was about as intelligent as a concussed child. She had barely made the grades to graduate and Autumn who prided herself on her intelligence was able to make fun of her fairly easily.
Tameron Walsh however was different. She outranked Autumn so she was clearly smarter and the democratic process that appointed her Head Girl indicated that she was well liked. She was pretty too. With large, dewy eyes and pretty blonde hair she looked like she belonged on the cover of lad’s magazine, or, due to her immense intelligence between the pages of a business magazine.
Andrew Carpenter, the Head Boy, was just as morally deplorable. Three months prior to their graduation (and two days after the Encounter in the library) Andrew had taken a keen interest in April. April was naturally flattered; nothing spelt status like the Head Boy for a boyfriend. He had charmed his way into April's heart and had promptly broken it into a million miniscule, irreparable pieces. April was naturally crushed and Autumn had been walking on egg shells for weeks. Nothing she did was right. Autumn was of the personal opinion that nothing helped heal like dark chocolate rocky road and a couple of hours of Mr. Darcy. April, an athlete, rejected the chocolate and she had never had the patience for Pride and Prejudice (both the movie and the book).
The procession into the church began and Autumn reached up to tap Jackson's shoulder.
"What time do you want me there?" She asked quietly.